Dental clinic treats 1,000 patients in first month
University of PlymouthAlmost 1,000 people have been treated and 1,200 appointments delivered since a new NHS dental practice was set up just over month ago.
Many of those treated by the Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise (PDSE) in Plymouth, Devon, have been urgent referrals via NHS 111 from people seeking help with pain, infection or dental trauma.
The service is run in partnership with the University of Plymouth, which said the new clinic aimed to address a growing demand for urgent dental care, while providing hands-on experience for trainee dentists.
Rob Witton, professor of community dentistry, said: "We're very pleased with progress so far. We've seen almost 1,000 patients across almost 1,200 appointments."
Witton added: "We're working up to our capacity, the practice has 13 chairs, and we have our final year dental and dental therapy students rotating through the practice.
"We've had a really positive response from the public, and everyone whose accessed the facility has been very complimentary."
The practice opened on 9 February after taking a 20-year lease on a former shop in New George Street.
Ninety-nine students have delivered more than 450 appointments, with the rest carried out by qualified clinicians from Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise, some of whom are University of Plymouth alumni.
Witton said the practice focused on delivering urgent dental care but patients who needed continued access to a dentist were referred to its other facilities in Plymouth or could return to the practice to see dental therapists for "ongoing stabilisation care".
Peninsula Dental Social EnterpriseTerri Ebert, clinic team leader at the practice, added that teamwork across the service had been key to its successful start.
"Opening a brand-new clinic in the heart of the city centre has required a huge team effort. From the reception team welcoming patients, to nurses supporting clinics and the students and clinicians delivering care, everyone has played an important role in getting the service up and running."
A BBC investigation in 2022 found the south-west of England was one of the worst areas for trying to access an NHS dentist.
Last year, one woman from Devon in her 70s said she extracted three of her own teeth because she could not find an NHS dentist and could not afford to go private.
Unlike the university's larger teaching clinics, the Plymouth city centre facility is designed to simulate a real dental practice environment, helping students develop their confidence while treating patients with urgent dental needs.
Matthew Ide, a final-year dental student at Peninsula Dental School, said working in the practice had been a valuable addition to clinical training.
He said: "The new practice has allowed us to work in a more independent setting, while still under close supervision from experienced supervisors.
"It is very rewarding being able to help patients who have been experiencing dental pain, and has provided a fresh challenge in managing patients who are often anxious, and have very limited access to dental care."
Magda Farrant, one of the first patients in the new clinic was treated after seeking help from the Peninsula Dental School.
"I came to the dental school a few months ago in desperate need of help and had one of my follow up appointments ," she said.
"The days of being able to have two NHS check ups a year just don't happen now, so to have something as accessible as this is amazing.
"The students have been wonderful too, and I'm really pleased to be able to support their education."
University of PlymouthThe practice is a member of the Plymouth Dental Taskforce, which was created in 2023 in response to the crisis in dentistry.
The Plymouth City Council-led taskforce is cross-party and includes representatives from local health organisations as well as the city's MPs.
Whitton said patients from the "Plymouth travel to work area" could access urgent treatment at the clinic. He said the school would like to open more clinics but that depended on the government.
"It very much depends on what the government plans are around additional dental training places. We're very keen to train more dentists in Plymouth and across Devon and Cornwall.
"And if that were to be the case, then we possibly could look at replicating what we do in Plymouth City centre in another location across Devon and Cornwall. There's certainly a need for it, with lots of patients seeking NHS dental care in this area."
Witton said the dental school hoped to create opportunities so its graduates remained in the region and helped to fill the gaps in NHS dental care.
He said: "Two of our dentists who work in the practice are our own graduates, and we also offer postgraduate training opportunities from the practice as well.
"We offer something called Foundation Dental places, and we really hope in the future that we continue to do that, and we have our own graduates staying with us and working in Plymouth."
The BBC has contacted the Department Of Health for comment about its plans for the future of NHS dental services.
